Wednesday, July 16, 2014

cool products and mini tutorials


So here is the post I have been promising for awhile now. A post about some of the cool products that I have been using lately. I will share the original project and the tools. For the products, simply click in the hyperlinks in the paragraph, or click the photos below. If you want all the products used the project, click the hyperlink in the earlier paragraphs. Hope you enjoy! And keep emailing me with your questions! :)

Today I will start with the flower centers on this Thanks card. I saw the idea online and had to run out and purchase the scissors to create the look! I am imagining all the color possibilities!

FRINGE SCISSORS:


These Fringe Scissors from Martha Stewart made the cool flower centers possible. These are like a standard pair of scissors, but they have several blades lined up, creating several, close-together cuts in one snip. You can see how they cut along the top strip of cardstock, closest to the scissors. The top strip was cut by snipping once and moving down the cardstock. The lower strip was cut twice, to make a finer fringe. To do that, I simply cut in between my first set of snips.


I then rolled the strip, flattened out the fringed edges and adhered it into the center of the flower.


Pretty great look, huh?




WHITEBOARD CARDSTOCK:


The new DCWV Whiteboard Cardstock, yes, Whiteboard Cardstock, made these Menu Planning Cards perfect!



This is a stack of the cardstock from Die Cuts With a View. Its just like standard cardstock, except you can write on it with dry erase markers! This is available at Michael's and some Jo-Ann stores. Can you say perfect use for your 40% off coupon?!


It can be die cut into any shape! How fun would these shapes be on a refrigerator or even a student's locker?!?! 


Here is a closer look at the Menu Planning Card, written on with dry erase marker. Wipe it off with a dry cloth and you are ready to change it easily!





STIFFEN STUFF:


For this cafe sign card, I wanted the balloons to add to the dimensional look of the sign, by standing up. As I thought about how I could accomplish that, I remembered an awesome spray I had in my stash!


Bring in Beacon Adhesives' Stiffen Stuff. This is a spray that can turn fabric stiff (wow does that help make die cutting fabric easier!) and TWINE! 

To use it, start by protecting your work surface. Spray the twine generously with the spray. Set aside to dry. What? You don't have time for that? Me either. So, use your heat tool and slowly keep moving the heat tool over the twine. When it dries, the twine will be stiff, pliable, but stiff. If not, apply a second coat of the 





MINI INK BLENDING TOOL:


Applying ink to paper is much easier with the Mini Ink Blending Tool from Ranger! 

(Make sure to check out the cool technique that goes with this photo!) 


I like the smaller handle. And the round foam applicators. The applicators can be used over and over again. I keep one for each ink color. Be sure and pick up a couple of packs of the foam applicators, because you will never put these down! :) These are also nice for inking through stencils. I feel like I have so much more control over where the color goes.





EZ DOTS ADHESIVE:


I love this adhesive runner. I super puffy heart it, in fact. What I like about it is how it dispenses small dots of permanent adhesive onto your surface. I find this very important with all the fantastic die templates and digital cut files out there right now- that I cannot get enough of using! 


Pass the runner over your detailed die cut image and it covers the back perfectly. More importantly, it doesn't cover anything else! Set it on your work surface, pass the runner over your piece, and nothing. Nothing on the work surface! If for some crazy reason one of those little dots does go astray, wipe it away with your finger! And with the high quality of adhesive, you know this will stick and stay on your project!





There you have it. Some of the cool products that I have been using lately! Hope it was helpful! thanks for always stopping by!

~kimberly

2 comments:

Lucy E. said...

These are some fun products! Thanks for enabling me to get a couple of them :-)

Mary-Anne V said...

Thank you so much for this post...always nice to see what you recommend.

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